Signal system.



W; MEARS.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 27, 1907.

' Patented 0ct.'26,19o9.

UNITED sTATEs vPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MEARs, 0E CLEVELAND, OHIO', AssIGNoR 0E OIIEJIALE To MAUDE E. WILLIAMS 'AND ONE-HALE-.To WILLIAM A.f1vIEAEs, or CLEVELAND, oHIo.

SIGNAL sYsTEM.

. Specification of -l'aetterslatent. v Patented Oct; 26,l 1909,v

Application'led N ovcmber 27, 1907. Serial No. 404,128.l

To .all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, inthe coutyof Cuya- Dhoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Systems; and-I hereby declare the following.

to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable "others skilled in the .at to whichwit pertains` to make and use the same.

This 'invention relates to new and useful 'improvements in signal systems and .particu- 'larly for use in connection with electric railways'. l -V The ob'ject of this invention is to provide a block signal system for electricrailways which can be cheaply constructed, which will be positive in operation and .which, after being once installed, can be maintained vwithout additional expense beyond the usual operating expense of the railway. y

y 1nvention'theref0re, consists in the features of construction and combination of parts' as described in the specification, point ed out in the claims and illustratedun the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view of a ,portion of an electric railway. Figs. 2'

system embodying my invention.

'and 3 are enlarged detail views.

Again referring to the drawings 1 represents the rails of an'electric railway of the usual construction and' 2 indicates-the 'poles which support the trolley wires 4in the customary manner by'mea'ns of' an arm or,

bracket 5 secured-to each pole. The trolley wires 4 are strung in the' usual manner, lwhich permits a certain amount of slack in the wire between each pair of holes. Al conductor 7 which may be a'wire much' lighter and finer `than the trolley wire is stretched between the poles immediately above the trolley Wire and isfspaced above the, same a suicient distance so that the two wires will not come in contact under normal conr ditions.

On the trolley wire 4 at suitable intervals are arranged contact devices, each of which comprises a small; standard 8 which is' sol-- dered or otherwise secured to the trolley wire so as to be in'electric'al contact therewith. Each standard 8 is provided with a vertical central bore 9 in which is slidably arranged a small rod 10- which is preferably provided with 1an enlarged head 11., The Bev It known that I, WILLIAM MEAns, a l

rod 10 is secured inthe standard 8 by means ofa scr'ew` .12 which permits it to beadjusted up and down infsaid standard. A yoke 14. whichyis preferably provided with a covering of some insulating material 13 is arranged to straddle ythe conductor Tand the endsof this yoke are secured by means of screws 16 in lugs 15 formed on, the standard .8. .A This yoke by thus strad'dling the conductor-7 serves as a guide and holds the standard 8 vertical so that the head'of the rod 10 will always be in position to come in contact .with the conductor 7 when thetrolley wire is: raised up .andbrought closer to the conductor.I

, In the drawings 17 represents trolley car of the' usual construction which is provided with a trolley pole 18 carrying a the pole in the usual manner.

The signal circuit is indicated by a: and

one terminal thereof is connected to ground or to a` rail andthe other terminal thereof is connected with the conductor 7. In the signal circuit is arranged a lamp b or any other suitable slgnallng device.

The Operationof the signal system is as follows. The conductor 7 is supported between the polesl as before explained, directly above the trolleywire and as there'is always a certain amountof slack in the trolley'wire therefore as the trolley car passes beneath the trolley .wire the trolley wheel will 'be pressed up against the trolley. wire vby the springs which support the trolley pole and therefore t-he trolley-wire will ybe lifted and brought closer to the conductor 7; Now the distance between the trolley wire-and the conductor will of course vary at different points between'the supporting poles, for instance the portion of the trolleywire centrally between the supporting poles will be lifted higher and will come' closer to the conductor than the portion of the .trolley When the trolley wire is lifted bythe passage of a car the contact deviges en thetolley wires are brou ht intocntact with the conductor 7 vthere y closing the signal circuitand giving the required signal.

What I claim is Ipo . Awirenea-rer -the supporting pole's and therefore the contact devices are adjusted accordingly by lowering or raising vthe rods 10.'

ductor supported longitudinally of said trol# to sai ,signal wire.

' by an upward ley wire and above and in' roximity thereto, contact devices arranged) on said trolley wire,v guidesV extending upwardly on ,each side of said conductor so that the latter will be held in alinement with'said--contact devices and l"said Contact devices will engage the conductor when the trolley wire is lraised pressure of the trolley of a passing car. l v

2. In a signal system for electric railways,-. in combination with a trolley wire,`a signal wire supported above and in lproximity thereto, said signal wire extending -lon tudinallyof said trolley Wire,'contact -vices carried by one ofy said wires, and adapted to be engaged by the other when the trolley wirevris raised by* the trolley of a passin car, and `an electric signal connected '3L In asignal system for electric railways,` the combination with a trolley Wire, of a conductor supported above and in proximity thereto, a series of standards on 'said trolley wire, rods adjustably mountedin said standards, yokes arran led over vsaid conductor and secured to sai standards, and-an elec'- tricy circuit having one terminal connected with said conductor' and a signaling device arranged in saidelectric circuit.

A 4. In a signal system for electric railways, j,

the -combination with a trolley wire of a conductor supported above and in proximity tliereto and adjustable [contact-devices so"vl arranged' on said trolley Wire that when a trolley vWheel passes beneath the said trolley i' lwire and in. contact therewith it will bring the trolley wire inte'contact with said con-w ductor, anelectric circuit having one ter-A minal-connected with said conductor and a signaling device arranged in said circuit, v

In testimony whereof, I sign theforegoing specification, in1 the presence of two wit- 

